PETER THE DOG

 
A similar story Mani would often recount was about Baba's dog, Peter. One day Mani was called into Mandali Hall by Baba. He was sitting in His usual chair and the men Mandali were sitting on the floor around Him. Baba gestured towards His feet and Mani noticed that Peter had crawled over toward Baba and was now sleeping there.

Thinking that Baba wanted her to remove Peter she started forward, but Baba gestured to her to look at Peter and she noticed that the dog's legs were moving in his sleep. He was whining as well and Baba gestured, "He is dreaming. He is having a bad dream and is very afraid. He is dreaming that he is being attacked by big dogs and he is very scared. He does not know that he is safe and sleeping at my feet."

Mani would then add, "That's how we all are. Just like Peter, we are sleeping safely at His feet, but we forget this. Like Peter, we are so absorbed in our illusory dream that we take the illusory suffering to be real and feel the pain. Only on awakening do we experience the reality — that we were always safe with Him.

"It helps, to remember during our moments of suffering, that we are only dreaming. He is always with us. Don't let the dream overwhelm you. Remember Him all the time. Call out to Him. Talk to Him. Repeat His name. This weakens the effect of the dream. Have you ever had a dream where you are aware that it's a dream? It's like that. When you remember Him constantly, you become aware of the dream and it does not overwhelm you."